Be Around the NFL Podcast, Are Afraid of Killer Dolls? Welcome to another edition of the Around the NFL Podcast. My name is Dan Hansens. I come to you from a virtual room filled with some heroes. Mark Sessler, Greg Rosenthal. What's that boys? Little playoff Tuesday show? How about that? I feel like I needed that Monday to you know, we had some work to do. We all did, respectively, but I needed it to recover a little bit. Six six versus four games like that was it was like underrated.
How much different that experience was. That was intense. And I mean, we know the NFL um that nothing's going to ever contract, It's only going to expand. So that's our life for the wild Card Super wild Card Weekend for the rest of the time. But more than ever, I think that my actual naming a bloated wild Card weekend. Um. There is an argument to be made that it was just a tad blows if you're working it, if you're
working in it a lot. Like like we said, we were never consulted on this as creatives, but things can always change, you know. You we talked about the Super Bowl that was initially the a f L NFL championship game for the first two years until Jets Colts in sixty nine. So maybe we still have a window to get in on bloated wild Card weekend. I don't know if that's gonna fly. Almost their just gonna say it feels like it might have a critical connotation. I don't
think it felt bloated. There were just moments for obvious, like just like a human being, It's like, hm, I'm feeling a little bloated at the moment um. I won't four hours from now when games are still raging on. But there were twists and turns that felt a little bloaty wild Card marathon that it's it's maybe not the league's fault, it's it's the Bears fault. If the Chicago Bears that game wasn't plopped in the middle of the
Sunday schedule, things probably would have felt different. But anyway, we say this now, but come this summer in July or so, when we're cranking through shows trying to come up with ideas of things to talk about, we're gonna laugh at, you know, talking about playoff football not being up to snuff. I mean, we're gonna be looking forward to the preseason for Cripe's sake. Alright, good perspective. Tuesday, that's what. So I'm here for Mark Tuesday. Mark still
floating floating on air. You can tell, you can see it. It's it's coming through. The Browns are one of the final eight teams, and we're gonna get into all of the playoff matchups in the Divisional Round, the best football weekend of the year on Thursday show. Uh. Today, we're gonna have a more traditional news show. We haven't had one of those in a while. We're gonna get through
a lot of news. What's going on in the league, what's going on with the openings GM, we have another coach change that we're up to seven now, and then there's a lot of stuff going on down in Texans and Houston with the Texans as we know, we're tracking this with some of the decision making that organization is
making and uh, Deshaun Watson being unhappened. We had to get Seth Payne back on the horn, who does great coverage and he works down there and he's been on our show before, to just give us a look into what's going on with the Houston Texans in a really important offseason for them. All right, But first, as I said, we have a lot of news to hit, so let's go. You know, a bad loss, but um, Browns gonna so
it's all good. Still are still talking, Chase Claypool, uh saying that the Browns are gonna get clapped by the Chiefs this weekend. Mark your thoughts. I mean, I think there are maybe three or four people on the planet that when they speak about the Browns I listen or care what they have to say. Chase Claypool is not one of those three or four people. I think most people have been wrong about the Browns all season. Chase clay a Pool is uh saying that after they were
beaten by Cleveland two times in a row. I think there might be better things for him to wax on about at this point. And Uh on the subject of the Cleveland Browns, Ricky, now his name is Keith, He'll doubt about it. Well, does he go to say that name to say? What? Does he go to say? Congratulations?
Mark on the Cleveland Browns not only making the playoffs but destroying the Pittsburgh steel Is in Big Ben last night, I myself have never been a big fan of the steel Is and I know they've been your art rival for many many years and have been trashing the Browns, so I know it has to be particularly satisfying for you. Uh So, you're an inspiration for Jet fans. Good luck against Kansas City Gowns. There you go. How about that message?
That is one of the three or four people I would listen to because the first time I ever met your dad at the Super Bowl. This is someone who's been tracking football for decades. He knows the game very well, and I my hope is that the same will happen for him and Jets fans too, because Dan's dad is someone who deserves a little bit of sunshine at this point,
and he does it every year. He sent a text to me and my brother this morning on this date, fifty two years since Joe Namath rose the finger as he jogged off the field at the Orange Bowl after the Jets upset the Colts six to seven in the first Super Bowl Super Bowl three. Uh So, man to not get back to that game. It is cool how much um the Browns win. Like it's awesome to see how happy everyone is. Like I think people really identified like people were more into that game because of you. Mark.
My friend Dave, who listens to the show sometimes said he was like so fired up, like after listening to the beginning. My dad was texting me during the game, fired up for you like you are? You are Mr Brown talking to your dad. Didn't send in a message then if you if you you know, I don't think they've ever spoken. Um, I mean so, I don't know. I could give him the number. It's true though, like
the Browns represented hope to the hopeless. So if they could do it, if they could rebuild their organization and win in that type of way, Um, who can't. All right, let's get into it, uh, starting yes with the latest
head coaching announcement. This one was percolating a little bit. Initially, Doug Peterson was safe after Week seventeen, and then last week there was a meeting with Jeff Lourie, the team owner that we were told in a report on Monday didn't go so well or on Sunday, and then on Monday the report or it is announced that the Eagles have parted ways with Doug Peterson, the coach that brought the franchise. It's only Super Bowl, Uh just what three
years ago? So now he is out UH ending a partnership and we see what happens next with both teams. Lori had a video press conference to discuss this seismic move within the organization. Here's what he had to say at first allegiances, what will be best for the Philadelphia Eagles and our fans for the next three or four or five years. UM, it's not based on does someone deserve to hold their job or deserve to get fired? That's a different um bar. It's not about um to
Doug deserve to be let go? No, he did not deserve to be let go. That's not where I'm coming from, and that's not the bar. Uh. In the evaluation process, a lot of Eagles players came out in defense of Doug Peterson, wishing him well. Greg. Was this the right decision? I think it was. I think they needed to make a change and either was either gonna be Peterson or Peterson and Howie Roseman. So, you know, I think it
wasn't working. You could hear the whispers in the telecast that the front office and the head coach weren't getting along. You could, you know, see from Ian's you know tweet on Monday. You know Peterson was tired of being told what to do, and there's been more reporting that basically, the you know, ownership didn't like the idea of Peterson elevating Press Taylor to be his offensive coordinator. They had
other ideas. And it's like, like, I get it from Peterson's perspective, if he's the head coach and he can't choose his offensive coordinator, then he shouldn't be the head coach. And they probably knew he was gonna take that stance, and it's time to make a change. It's unfair because he's the first head coach to get fired within three years of winning a Super Bowl since seventy two Don McCafferty,
who won Super Bowl five. And it's not like the Eagles have struggled the last three years, Like they almost made the conference championship two years ago, and they made the playoffs last year despite a or in despite a ton of injuries. But I also think it's like better to get out um a year early than go on when it wasn't working between them two and Howie Roseman has earned some rope. I think that he can build up a successful team. He's done it a few times.
I mean Harry Roseman will be onto his fourth head coach. Um. You know, he hasn't been in the same position the entire he's chosen well when he's had the you know what I mean he has and I think that, uh, a little bit of this might have to do. And if you listen to what Lori was saying, and he's I think Jeffrey Lori is one of the more UM straight talk He's a he's a straight talker, I think
to some degree about what what he feels. And I think there was he talked about collective vision that Jeffrey Lori and the ownership were not on the same page with probably what needs to happen. Like the team's best players are over thirty. The only Pro Bowl player they've they've drafted since twenty sixteen is Carson Wentz. This is a team that needs to take, you know, a deep
look at it, how it's built. Um, it's in salary cap hell heading into the off season, and I think Laurie is sort of saying we might not it's not
a rebuild because owners don't say that. But uh, there's a lot that needs to happen here for the team to get back into UM the more on the model of a team that'd be successful for years on end, and Peterson would go into the year on you know, on the hot seat, I think already and wanting to do everything to keep the Eagles just sort of in this current mode where I think that he'd be in
a tough position. Um, he's not seeing ida. I like he said, Greg with the front office and the owner, I think showed a little bit of self um awareness and and and in a realization about what where the team is right now. And there's probably a little bit of the Carson Wentz stuff going on to where the Peterson and Carson Wentz that relationship felt um ultra fractured
at this point. I feel like Peterson escapegoatd here and ownership obviously sided with Howie Roseman and said that, you know, Roseman is not the problem, even though you just mentioned that, like how many Pro bowlers have been drafted into this organization. Uh, he's still Roseman getting the benefit of the doubt, whereas Doug he entered this year in a place of supreme job security. But and this is how it works in the NFL. The quarterback went in the tank. Uh, somebody's
fault the quarterback wasn't seeing eye to eyewa Doug anymore. Uh, that's somebody's fault. I get Stug Peterson's fault. Get him out of here, and that will fix things. I just don't know if that this is going to make the Eagles better. And then you know I've been Yes, I would be too, And actually I might be relieved if I'm Doug Peterson because there might be some dysfunction behind
the scenes with this organization. And I just wonder if the Eagles when they when the smoke clears here and they hire whoever they hire, is it gonna be a better solution than what Doug Peterson was And will that guy be inheriting a team that's kind of been a sneaky bad place right now? Well, what would you They are in a bad place. I think with the roster in the cap and everything and the act that Wentz is if they were to trade, Wentz would be very
difficult to trade because of that contract. I guess my answer to you, Dan would be like, what else would you do? I think you could cut you could? You know? Not to answer my own question, like I think you could get rid of how he and Dug but it wouldn't make sense. It's not like you're gonna get rid of how we keep Doug and then have a new front office like you can get rid of Carson Wentz And maybe they still do that. But I guess they had to do something. I don't know what it was.
I feel like trading Carson Wentz and moving forward with Jen Arts was was the move. But maybe maybe they'll end up doing multiple moves here as they try to change where they're going. UM, while we're on the subject, let's let's start spinning the carousel, the coaching carousel, hell, the GM carousel, because where are we at right now? We are seven openings at head coach, very creepy seven GM openings. So I'm just gonna spin through the latest
what's going on? Will start Since we just mentioned the Eagles, the Eagles requested to interview Buck's defensive coordinator Todd Bowles for the team's head coaching vacancy. UM. Also, UH they want to interview Robert Sala, who's obviously high in demand UH and Arthur Smith the Eagles. In addition to the messiness of all this, they're playing from behind because every other team has already been working on this for a week,
if not more. And speaking of Robert Salah, he is it was reported he's flying in for a second interview or has a second interview scheduled with the Jets, and it's reported that he's a finalist for that position. That makes a lot of sense. I mean, Jets fans would be over the moon if they got Salah. Also keep in mind, of course Doug Peterson, Joe Douglas, the ties there back in Philadelphia, UM, I would say, and who
knows how this all turns out. The Jets ending up with either Peterson or Sala at this point, that would be uh to me, the two favorites to get that job. UM I personally would like Sala, but I want to be totally against Doug Peterson either. There I would love solid for the Jets. Um. If your dad wants something that he could be excited about. That Also, Robert Salo's best man at his wedding was Matt Lafleur and he is super tight with the floors, which includes Mike Lafleur.
And he's also you know, attached to Mike McDaniel. These two coaches have been the secret sauce to San Francisco's offense, and they are the two names linked. One of them would probably be one of them that would go with Salad to the Jets to run that offense. That would be a new day. I I could not I would immediately feel very differently about the New York Jets if they pulled that off. To get him in there for the second interview, don't let him leave, don't let him
out of the room. And that's when you have to trust ownership to get to get that done. Salad is everything Greg that gaze is not and was not, from whether you're talking about the optics, to his reputation in the locker room, to his demeanor to his ability to work with the media and be camera friendly. It's a totally different set up there. I I totally agree, and I think the number one quest in with all these
guys is what staff are you gonna build? I think that's more important when you hire a defensive coach, because to me, offense is more important, and so you better have a good answer there. You better have someone you're excited about and in the names Mark said, I think you would be excited. I think that's perfect. And a second interview means you're ready to hire him, and they always say finalist and sometimes the second interview like okay,
when okay, let's interview one more guy. But you don't how these things always go is you never bring the guy back a second time unless you're potentially ready to close that deal. Like you guys mentioned especially one during you know, they're trying to bring people in person. Every they are serious and I Dan, this would be huge for you, so they want to finish it or you know, they want to put pressure on him to say yes to potentially because he is a guy we don't know.
You know, all these teams are interviewing the same guys. It's a little annoying, but it's like everyone's just it's like Arthur Smith Robert Sala, Like it's everyone's interviewing the same guys. So they're gonna be competing. They should do like a huge just a huge job fair. Why why are we doing this in individual just get everyone in the same giant can give given the climate, Getting everyone
underneath a Jim Auditorium roof maybe a bit messy. But in other news, Coordinator news Dan Quinn, the dismissed Atlanta Falcons coach who made his reputation as the d C of the Legion of Boone Seahawks defense. Well, he's back in a d C position with the Dallas Cowboys. Uh. He was high in demand and now he's paired with Mike McCarthy, uh to try to coach up a defense greg that was woeful in Dallas under Mike Nolan. It's funny because I think there's personnel. They didn't change it
that much. Fits with the dan Quinn defense, which isn't that different than you know, the Rod Marinelli type of defense um that they had two years ago. And this is where it Being the Cowboys does help. I think Quinn, you know, because they're to pay their coordinators more. Oh, kelln more. You want to go to Boise State, how about we pay you more than than Zach Taylor's making
as a head coach of the Bengals. Dan Quinn, whatever you want to do, like, we'll put you on national TV and we'll pay you a ton of money to be our coordinator. Just just come on over. It seems like a great fit. I love it too, and I think he's some of these guys that you know, you go you find out his head coach that that job entails so much more. And I know that the defenses in Atlanta um were largely putrid and they didn't really develop players. That's a concern, but um, this is a
high energy guy. I you remember that Wes and I uh felt for dan Quinn pretty hard after talking to him. With the Super Bowl. I do think the players really like dan Quinn, especially in the coordinator rules. So it's a it's a big step up from Mike Nolan for the Cowboys. It's funny, you guys give me a hard time about Matt Rule and you you think that I
get upset about him not going to the Jets. It was dan Quinn that I was really upset about because it seemed like when they were going through the process of replacing rex Rye in b uh and they went with Bowls instead because Quinn was going through the Super Bowl and the Jets didn't want to wait. And I was worried that Quinn was going to be a decade
plus a studded head coach. I mean, he got the Super Bowl uh soon after that, but now he's back perhaps where he is best at d C. Speaking of DC, Gus Bradley High is the Raiders defensive coordinator, formally replacing Paul Gunther, who got canned in December by John Bruden. Uh, Bradley has his work cut out for him. Obviously. This is a bad Raiders defense that allowed thirty points a
game last year. My favorite part of this I mark let us know that they sent the announcement the Raiders did on Twitter with a picture of Ken Wizzen Hunt. And the problem is you know that there's um like a twenty three year old social media Uh you know lever Polo right there that made that mistake. And then where former chart your two? So he was a former Charger coach and coordinator. A nice strong jaw line on Wizz,
we haven't seen him in a while. Doesn't really look like us right now, Gus has got a nice jaw line to you and Ken wizzon Hunt side by side, right in front of you, you would immediately be able to tell who was his stop. Of course, this one is bald. Yeah, one's bald. That helps and Ken Wizz and I've seen them both in person. Ken Wisenhunt's an enormous that's probably Wi Hunt. Oh I thought he was
bald as well. You Wizzen Hunt's a good looking I mean, Gus Bradley, it's it's it's we're talking about two former legion of Boom play callers who are getting you know, they'll get work until the end of days. We got Nick Shook on this podcast. We have Chris Westling on this podcast. You seem to hint there that because Ken Wizzon Hunt had hair, he was a good looking guy. No, I mean, that's not what I'm hinting. That's what you would like people to I feel like that's where you
were going with that. Mean, Nick Shook is a good looking man, so as us when he like coached the Cardinals to the Super Bowl. I remember covering that Super Bowl and thinking like this guy seems like a military general. That's Ken wizzen Hut, you know, like he commands it. And we mentioned Bradley and Quinn, both off the Seattle coaching tree. The Seahawks. They make him move all the teams, A quarter of the league nearly is looking to fill
their GM post. They make sure John Schneider doesn't get away. He signs a five year extension through seven. Uh. This comes after the Lions sought permission to interview Schneider so the Seahawks satan and then then you stay right here, let's fly get that Microsoft money. What a great what
that's a great organization to to work for. And Pete Carroll's like building like separate vacation homes that are like somehow attached to the facility, like he lives on the lake, and it's just like, oh, you just send this little report out and then you know, I know, Paul Allen, the Microsoft guy passed, but they still got that Microsoft money. I think it's just like, oh, no, you're not gonna go to Detroit. He here's here is like a truckload of cad that was never gonna happen. That was never
gonna happen. But also I'd say Pete Carroll he already had that USC money. I mean, he's he's had going on for a long long time. It just seems like there is no ownership. They're quite right now. Um, it's just sort of like the Carol I think has more power than maybe any coach in the NFL, including Bill Belichick. He's as close to an owner as like a coach gets. I'm sure he didn't want Schneider to go either. And
speaking of Bill, Belichick. Finally, in the news, Bill Belichick announced that he declines to accept the Medal of Freedom that was offered by the White House and Donald Trump. In a statement, he said that recently I was offered the opportunity to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which I was flattered by out of respect for what the
honor of resents an admiration for prior recipients. Subsequently, the tread which is like, However, the tragic events of last week occurred, and the decision has been made not to move forward with the award. Uh. Bill got you know love um uh and a lot of angles of social media. Uh there, and I get it. His decision comes at a time when Trump faces near universal condemnation for his role in last week's assault on the Capitol and and Trump is facing his second impeachment in the past year
as we record this. Uh So, Bill's getting praise for saying thanks, but no thanks Donald. Uh. But even Bill, a man who walks to the beat of his own drum, would understand the optics of heading over to the Rose Garden this week to get a trophy from Donald Trump. Can we please calm down with saying this is some type of brave move by Bill Belichick. It's the no
brainer of the century. Well, especially when he is talking about those weekly social justice meetings that he had with his team, which which he mentioned actually at the the year end press conference, as you know, like he would lose his he would lose his players apparently, though, like a couple of golfers job, well, I don't know, I'm not so sure about that one. I mean, oh man, right now in this climate that I get a grip and grab with Donald, I don't know, right, I get it.
But a couple of um, well, first of all, you know, we don't need to get too deep into it, but this, you know, the NFL had plenty of support for for in Belichick was you know, tied tied to Trump certainly, but a couple of golfers did take the the award. Apparently the day after they like they showed up and everything, and people, yeah, people were just like people are just
like come on. You know what it reminded me of Dan though, is when when it was announced that Trump was going to pitch the opening day game at the Yankees.
Because this news that Belichick was even getting this came out like Saturday night, out of nowhere, and immediately everyone was fired up and I and even at the time, I was like, oh, I don't I wonder if Felichick has like said yes, yes to this, because I think they're just like trying to put him in a tough spot and trying to like get some good pr I'm struggling why a golf why golfers are receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom to begin with them? But what have they?
What have they? Have you ever played golf? It is very difficult. I've attempted it once and I agreed that it's I don't know what that has to do with, you know, the core tenants of freedom, and it's a it's a total, totally fair question. Mark, I have no idea. And Mary by the White House, Roger Stabat got it once because Pelicheck's boyhood hero and that apparently had some meaning to him. But he's gonna have to see no grumble, grumble, grumble,
I got screwed. All right, that's what's happening in the news. Let's now welcome in one of our favorite friends of the show. He is listen, you can say it, say it. He's he's royalty down there in Texas. He's co hosted the morning show on Sports RA six. Played ten years in the National Football League for the Texans and the Jaguars, went to Cornell. Ever heard of that? He is the great Seth Payne. Welcome back to the Around the NFL podcast.
Thanks thanks for bringing me in after the presidential talk. But then also I only caught a little bit of the Handsome Coach rankings, and I gotta tell you that's kind of my wheelhouse. I know you guys brought me on for something else, but Kevin, Kevin Stefanski, a man who is very, very strict about mask wearing. I realized a couple of days ago that I didn't even really remember what he looked like, and I looked him back up. My god, ruggedly handsome son the same page there. We've
heard about that inwardly for months. I mean, Mark Stons are like random texts at like three in the morning about how how handsome Stefanski is. It's you go. You go from Freddie Kitchens to Kevin Stefanski. Imagine if that was, you know, in another world somewhere you went. You from a dating angle, if you were a nice young woman and you started you go from Kevin from Kitchens to Stefanski. I mean we've we've wondered if he's potentially I'm a
synthetic human and not real, Yeah, and wondered that. I also gotta you know, because he was in the news a lot last week obviously for the COVID and being in the basement, and as someone who watches a lot of Dateline on NBC, he looks like the guy that's been in every date line when the wife goes missing and there's some life insurance that hasn't been paid out. Yeah, but that's that's the bad boy appeal. Alright. But enough
of that funny business. We we need you to help us out with what's going on, uh with the Texans, the Nikissario higher, Deshaun Watson unhappy. Uh, this this feels like catnip. If you're doing radio down there, what what's your over general general vibe of what's going on with Houston? Is that a total mess? Oh? It's a it's a disaster. And I know, I know this smile on my face would tell you a different story. But I know you
guys have been recording and listen. I I'm so happy for Mark because you've been simpatico with me the whole time on this whole Jack Easterby scenario. And uh, and so Jack Easterby was the vice president of football operations.
He's been kind of uh, he's he's been an intriguing figure since he's been here, and a lot of people would point to him as a reason for a lot of the divisiveness within the organization right now, So you guys have been on air or recording this podcast, Andre Johnson just tweeted out, if I'm Deshaun Watson, I will stand my ground. The Texans organization is known for wasting
players careers. Since Jack Easterby has walked into the building, nothing good has happened in or for the organization, and for some reason, someone can't seem to see what's going on. Pathetic exclamation. So uh, there's yeah there. Look, Deshaun Watson is very, very unhappy. And I think the important thing to keep in mind here is that Deshaun Watson is not a male content. Deshaun Watson's not the guy that
complains about stuff. If anything, he was criticized at times this year for being too positive and being too happy as all of as they're having such a two, such a hard season. So at the end of the year he says very simply on Monday after the Titans lost, we need a culture shift, that we need better leadership. Um. There are people who think they have the power and that they don't I'm paraphrasing on the second part there
and and a lot of people pointed to Jack Easterby. Um. And at least at the very least when you talk about culture, this was a culture created by Bill O'Brien who came from the Patriots, Jack Easterby, who came from the Patriots and was supposed to be the cultural maven, you know, it was supposed to bring in all this positive energy and whatnot, and Deshaun wanted something different. When all of a sudden kl McNair hires Nick Cassario, it was very well qualified by every measure, but he's from
New England. I think that Deshaun Watson, who had been promised to have some kind of input and that he would be listened to, he was caught off guard, as were a lot of other people in the Texans organization. And it really felt like there was like skullduggery at work here that somehow they had departed from the process where they were going to use a search firm and use one of those candidates. And there's a whole lot more that goes into it. But yeah, it's a it's
a mess in Houston right now. I mean once so you know, Eric B Enemy's name just came up before we started recording this as a candidate that they can talk to when the chiefs at some point are eliminated. So Monday, Um, and you are Deshaun Watson? Does that? Would that settle him down? Because that was someone he particularly named himself. I have a second little question. Have you ever do you look out the window and see at any point sort of like a suspicious black sedan
parked out there. You've been so vocal on Jack Easterby, I have to believe that um easter be a mysterious figure, might be having you tailed. I just to be concerned for your safety in the middle of this though. You know. The second part is something that came up in a Sports Illustrated article during the season. It's a big expose about Jack Easterby and this guy who was supposed to
be incredible at creating the perfect organization. Whereas there are a couple of players quoted in there that thought that of the people in the building don't trust Jack Easterby. Um. And then one of the accusations a couple of players made was that they felt like they were being tailed at some point. Personally, I think I'm safe, Mark, because frankly, I am one of a cacophony of voices singing out raising our voices against Jack Easterby. I mean, uh, Andre
Johnson now joins the mix. I have talked to a bunch of people since that Sports Illustrated article came out, and there's no reason to disbelieve any of the sources in that article. Um. All of it kind of fits. And I think that when it comes to the enemy, yes, Deshaun Watson admires Eric b enemy, but I think he would be really intrigued by hiring Eric Benny. But I don't. I never got the sense that Deshaun Watson wants to
hand pick the coach. But I thought, I think that the owner told him that he would have input, that he would be listened to, and I don't think he necessarily feels like he's been listened to. And and especially because you know, I don't know how explicit Deshaun would
have been and explaining what's wrong with the culture. But it sure feels a whole lot like that when you tell, when you're telling people and you're trying to say, hey, there's a problem with a culture here, and you just bring in the best bud of the guy that perhaps some people like Andre Johnson think is actually destroying the culture. There. He got peeved and a lot of other people, you know, the Jamie Roots, the team President uh is not on
stable ground right now. A lot of people in the organization thought that the Texans were running an actual search, and it didn't look like they were. As far as Eric b Ennemy goes, look, nickis Sarrio, and this is where things get a litt nuanced. I like, I like the hiring of Nicko Sarrio as long as they're not trying to import the Patriots way because it doesn't work outside of Foxboro. Um. But he just started working a
couple of days ago. I think it's now a matter of Nick Cassario getting on the same page with Deshaun Watson, working with him, trying to settle this thing down. It's January twelve, We've got time, you know, before any kind of trade would need to be executed. Do you think it will though? Like how you know when you see you know, Chris Mortenson reporting that Watson um sees Miami
as a destination that he would be interested. And that was the first time that I thought, Okay, maybe this has legs because it's gonna be all up to Watson, how how serious he would be unwanting to force the trade if they can calm him down, um in the emotions of the season ending kind of wear away, like it would be insane to trade Deshaun Watson, Like I don't think any it not like Nick Serio I think
would come in and want to do that. It would be insane, Like it would make first of all, you have dead money on your cap to be getting rid of one of the best five, you know quarterbacks in the NFL, like Entry his private literally that's there's never been a precedent for a trade like that, not for a quarterback that young. Uh, and that could so it would be insane. But do you think, like, how like much legs do you think it would have for Watson
to like stay angry? I guess uh, that's that's the question. Okay, is this gonna be entrenched. Is it gonna take Is he gonna feel this way to three four months? I think it depends on a couple of things. One, I don't know how much Jack Easterby ways into Deshaun Watson's personal opinion about this. I know that Andre Johnson and other very just reputable guys that don't whine about much um have strong feelings about Jack Easterby. It might be as simple as the elimination of Jack Easterby. I don't
know it's not gonna happen. I mean that there's no chance that's gonna happen. He just picked. He really just picked the head coach after Here's the thing about the easter By stuff. I know he's hitted a lot on this show, but basically everything that we were sort of bringing up as a supposed conspiracy theory came exactly true
as recently as last weekend. Every single reporter, including someone on our network, who have expressed regret about it, was buying the whole idea that Easterby might not be on solid footing, he might not have any role in the organization, and that he's not even involved with the hiring. So then a day later, they hired the guy that they were hanging out at the Patriots Super Bowl ring party, and that they got accused of tampering with that's his
best friend. So like no one knew anything. It's clearly easter Ban mcna you know, has McNab that you know. Yes, you see me waving my head in my hands and shaking my head emphatically. Look, guys, I smelled this a mile away when Jack Easterby was here within a few months, as soon as Brian Gaine was gone. As soon as Jack easter be got here, Bryan Gaine, an actual general manager, got a fire River native by the way. That's right,
that's right, that's right. Um as uh, Rockland County. As so as there in pursuit hot pursuit of Nick Cassario, I've predicted at that time, you know, a year and a half ago, you know what Jack Easterby will be standing after Bill O'Brien has gone. It's that kind of a scenario. And people thought I was crazy. Excuse me of being a conspiracy theorist. But this is what he does. He he sidles up to very important people and gets
them to believe things that just simply are not true. Um, and he creates this distorted version of reality as far as the Miami thing goes. Greg. To get back to that, UM, I think that it's important to note that DeShawn has not requested a trade. Deshaun, including you know, the people close to DeShawn, nobody has credibly said that Deshaun wants a trade. I think that he said he'd be amenable to a trade in Miami, like that would be an okay destination. But UM, it's not at that point yet.
You can see not to keep any of it. You could see. Quickly after that, the Watson News came out, they interviewed the offensive corner, Tim Kelly, who he likes. That was like, hey, Deshan, look at this, and now hey, we're interviewing Eric bi enemy. Like I think they're gonna do everything possible to make it up. You know, commenting in life, you've heard about it, when couples are in danger, the relationships flaming out. Well, let's you know, do the band aid baby and it never works and it's not
good for anybody involved. A band aid head coach seems similarly flawed, and do him for failure. Let me let me kind of my last thing to see you up on here, Seth, I'm gonna play Devil's advocate. Okay, Deshaun Watson, he's a Hall of Fame level talent, but the Texans and the wreckage of the Bill O'Brien era are so poorly set up for the future right now. Well, who's to say that trading Deshaun Watson for a quarterback like a Tua or a Sam Donald and let's say three
first round picks, Greg, put your hand down. This is for Seth. This question is not actually, although popular opinion wouldn't be with you on this, and clearing up your cap and all the other stuff is not the best things for the Texans franchise that got as far as it could with the setup they had and now needs to reboot. I would say this, the Texans came into existence in two thousand two. Well, their first season was
two thousand two. They found Deshaun Watson in two thousand seventeen, and you had to trade up to get him, and it was a spot in the draft towards not necessarily a slam dunkey. You feel great about it. Um, Nothing is worth something that might take another seventeen years to replace. It's just I mean, look at the Jacksonville Jaguars. How many times did they have to use draft capital on high picks and and and swinging with on it? So, uh,
it's a It's a beautiful dream, is what it is. Dan, But you can't fall for beautiful dreams like Bill O'Brien and Jack east Be did trade after trade, signing after signing. If only, hey, remember how good these guys were in two thousand sixteen. That's all we need is for David Johnson and Randall Cup and Brandon Coach and everybody else. You can't fall for that line of reasoning, right, I mean Watson, Watson is the most important person in the organization.
I mean he is more important than the owner at least two fans. He should be because like, you can get other owners. I mean you're not going to but like Watson is to me, you're a placeable And people act like they're in such a crazy tough spot. No, I mean you're missing a couple of draft picks. You got them next year. Like you've got some good players, You've got one of the best left tackles, and like,
I mean you've got Deshaun Watson. I just The thing that Texans fans are worried about, which I understand and they're gonna stay worried, is the process to which you got to this point. If the process is super flawed and the people running that process are are flawed and how they got there, and I would put easter be you know, and ownership into that, then that makes you feel like it's doomed. But here's the thing. I'd still keep up, keep you know, Watson around for the next
team that takes over in three or four years. If this thing blows up, He'll only be twenty eight years old then, and you still have Deshaun Watson. Yeah. And as far as the actual situation goes, you make a great point, Greg, because look, are there teams out there right now that would trade the Texans don't have a person a second round pick right now? Are there teams out there that would say, hey, we'll give you a first in a second round pick and we'll take on
DeShawn Watson's contract. Uh it, We'll take that in a heartbeat, you know. And I'd say half the teams in the league probably would. So the situation is not as dire simply because you have DeShawn Watson. Alright, Seth, I hear an engine idoling outside your front door right now, my friend, keep up the good work down there, and he's gonna thank you for joining us. Always a pleasure. My kidnapping will be live stream. Thank you. Guys. There he goes the great Seth. Than give him a follow on Twitter
and check out all this stuff. He's great. Um, you know that's it's a thing about all this that you feel for Texans fans because man, I just went through it with Jamal Adams. Who's safety when you become attached to a star player and he's like the face of your franchise and then you're just holding your breath every morning that the news isn't gonna see this thing spiraling further out of control with your star and your your team.
So it's a time of moneys uh and Seth has it now, so we'll be I think one of the top storylines to track this office. I mean, it's gonna it's gonna haunt our podcast, um every single episode. This is a good one though, it's interesting, you know, Dak Prescott, Dak getting paid. That's gonna haunt out this one at least has some intrigue. I just feel for the Texans fans that aren't going to be enjoying the roller coast.
This isn't a total parallel because the age of the two quarterbacks is so different, but you could kind of look at what Carson Palmer did, um, when he just got utterly frustrated with the Bengals. He said, I've made enough money. Um, I'm simply not going to play for them anymore and forced to trade. I mean, I agree with you, Greg that Deshaun Watts and if he really
wants out, he has more power than anyone else. But if you're Nickkissaria, you think that you're forty five years old, you've took your first GM job, and your first headline move is to remove the team from Deshaun Watson. I think that they're gonna do everything they can to prevent it. Alright, good stuff, um, and thank you again to seth All. Right before we go, I did put out a prompt there to the fine listeners of the Around the NFL podcast, who, as always, they brought the heat, and you know I
gave them about an hour. I got hundreds of replies for questions here and by the way, the A t N Subreddit, which is a fan rent run board, just past fifteen thousand members. And Ricky Hollywood, who does incredible work over on the A t N podcast on Instagram that's closed in it on twenty thousand. We want to get over that hump, so get on there. Ricky's always putting up a good junk for you to enjoy. UM, So thank you to the fans. Here's our thank you to you be involved with the show. Here we go.
Greg Van popper Ring asks where will Doug Peterson land mark? This feels like to me again the unusual circumstances around head coach who wins the Super Bowl three years ago for a franchise that had never won in fifty years before that, and then gets canned in some type of power struggle, A guy that might land on his feet immediately in another head coach chair. Do you see it that way? There's seven gigs, here are six gigs for him.
I mean they parted with Andy Reid, they parted with Chip Kelly, and both of those coaches got head coaching jobs right after. And I would argue that Doug Peterson, Um, there are different types of teams out there, There are different types of ownership groups. And uh, there's a lot to like about Doug Peterson. I believe if you're an NFL owner, Um, there's a little bit of a stink on him. But Dan, you like there are people that think the way that you do too, that he probably
was a little scapegoated here. Um, I wouldn't put him at the top of the list, but I wouldn't be surprised to you got a job at all. Yeah, I agree. I think he's got a chance, and if not, he'll be back in the mix next year. It's not it may not be. Almost every coach always says they like, it's not the worst thing to take a year in between. You know, you can work on fearless too. Um, when I told when I told Eagles ownership to shove it
or something, I don't know. I guess he can say fearless too for winning the Super Bowl with the Jets or the Chargers Falcons and they don't want to burn that title, you know, fearless to colon increasingly fearless. I kind of like that. Um. Josh Perry Big j Powski on Twitter asks how many fingers and answer this seriously, mark how many fingers would Mark? Sacrifice to guarantee the Browns win the Super Bowl this year? Would you give
up a finger? I don't know. There's a lot of this going on, and it it Mike Rabel started this about cutting off a different body part of his um. I wouldn't sacrifice a body part for for things like this. No, okay, And for those that don't know, if you don't remember, Mike Rabel said he would sacrifice. I mean, I definitely wouldn't do that. But but as our friend Will Brnson said he'd do that, but he won't, you know, go for it on fourth and two other ways to get there.
That's right. How about a picky toe? Mark? Sure? Oh I hate feet and they're like I don't. Yeah, in a minute, you would hate You hate your feet enough to mutilate them? Now that I mean, like, who sees my feet? Nobody? So if I had to cut off a toe, or if someone's like, why are you missing your pinky toe? And I was like, well I did it and ensured the Browns want So it's I'm wrong if I say I wouldn't remove a body partner, I have fingers. Though I've known you for a decade, Mark,
I don't think I've ever seen your feet. I don't think I've ever seen your bare legs. You're you're a pants guy all the way. I mean I've I think I've warned. I don't think we've gone like swimming or to the beach together or something. So that's part of the raid in hotel rooms together, and in the same in my hotel room, I will there will be bare legs. I must have seen him. And when Mark and I went running by Anderson Cooper at Anderson Cooper sell them
also so love going on there. All right, Uh, here we go this from Angus Bell. What do the Seahawks need to do to fix their anemic offense? Is Schottenheimer the problem? Greg, I think he's The easiest solution is to change out Schottenheimer. I did not like what I heard out of Pete Carroll that his takeaway from the end of the season was that they need to run the ball more and more effectively. They were pretty effective running it. Now the problem is they weren't effective enough
throwing it. But that to me is a coaching problem. When you have players as talented as Russell Wilson, DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, Zachariah Lewis asks should the Bears reboot minus Matt Naggy head coach and GM Ryan Pace. This isn't the same apples to apples comparison to what's going on with the Eagles. But me, I hesitate, um, because the quarterback situation was so sloppy. Um for Naggy Pace,
maybe do what you will with Pace. But throwing out Naggy because Mitch Drabinsky and Nick falls stink, I don't know if I feel good about that. I'd reboot the whole thing hardcore because I mean, well, look at let's just say, definitely Pace Pace. You can charge a lot of their issues charged back to Pace decisions. Mike Kavanaugh asks, considering how historically bad the Jets are at drafting, how many first round picks would Dan give to get Deshaun Watson.
That's a very good question. Uh. I mean, you've gotta be stay within reason here, but I would give up to three first round picks to get a twenty six year old quarterback who's on a Hall of Fame trajectory. Um. I think there's almost no offer that I would say, Oh, no way in hell, Because Greg, as you point out, all the time, Like these first round picks are such a crapshoot to start with, There's nothing crapshoot or crappy
about Deshaun Watson. Yeah, you could try to finagle some other trade where to get one of those, you know, get an extra first round pick, like you trade down from the two. I guess you probably have to include that number two overall pick. But yeah, three or four, whatever, whatever it takes. What like, what is the number where it ceases to be something that you would do? Greg? Ten first round picks for Deshaun Watson? Would you do that?
I mean, it's just seems weird. I think the bigger thing I wouldn't want to do is like trade a first, second, and third for like three straight years. I mean that's the thing is like second, you know, the second round, your whole draft, right, are are almost as almost as valuable. But yeah, and I don't think the Jets draft history should matter here, Like, look, Joe d had a good, uh good thing, but at least I would give four
at least Okay, there you go. Uh follow up question from Ryan worst case in parentheses realistic coaching higher for the Jets. That's Marvin Lewis who came in for an interview, and all due respect to Marvin Lewis, the respect that Mark has never afforded Lewis on this podcast. Man Lewis a co tight like higher for the fan base. So Marvin Lewis, I don't care how well he interviewed Johnson family.
Do not do that. Uh. Jeff Yates asked, depending on who the coaches, which way do you think Detroit should lean in the matt Stafford situation? Should they build around him or should they blow that situation up? Mark Um, The problem with with with moving on from Matthew Stafford is that who's there. I mean, I don't think you start a new coach with, Hey, we're going to remove our franchise quarterback and by the way, it might take
twenty five years to find another. So I want to know what you're getting in return for Matthew Stafford, and better be huge and pivotal. Um. I think Matthew Stafford wouldn't be opposed to a fresh start, though, Milo asks do you think Cliff Kingsbury, the Cardinal's head coach, should be on the hot seat now? I write a hot Buck column every August ahead of the start of the season and he is going to be, for me, a little higher up on the list. What do you think
I don't. I don't think so because I still look at a team that won eight games in the two years previous and was in a really low place, and they won eight games last year. So I don't think you should be on a hot seat going into this season. Now. If they win four or five games next year, it's like, okay, then you then you're on it. But he's they've been
on an upper trajectory. I'm glad they asked about Cliff, though, because of all these gutless punts that we've seen, I never got a chance to mention what I thought was the most gutless punt punt of the entire twenty season when Cliff punted, and I know it was fourth and twenty Cardinals fans, I know, but it was at midfield
and the season literally ended with the punt. There was like three minutes left that he had one time out left, and he just decided instead of going for a fourth and twenty down eleven, I'm just gonna go to the off season. I've never seen him more gutless funt than that, Like I'll try to get a holding call or something defensive holding call, like do something. What's going on? Greg? I gotta I'm pushing back on that because that's bad, bad job by Cliff, and I think he deserves to
be under some scrutiny right now. But Mike Rabel hunting on two at the Buffalo forty yard line or at the Ravens Ravens forty yard line with Derrick Henry on your football team, coming off two thousand yards season, with your season hanging in the balance, to me, it doesn't get anywhere Tomlins in that category. To come on. I mean, god, Dan,
that was very bad too. I think it was worse because it was maybe he didn't know he only had one time out, which would be equally bad, but like it was literally just like okay, let's let's all pack it up. I would hate to be a head coach right now though we're everything you do. There are all these like whipper snappers on Twitter, all these like hyper nurse. Well no, but if everyone is like everyone knows better than the heck, I'm a first snapper. Yeah, hey you Greg.
Two more questions, this one from Andrews Savory does earl Thomas ever sued up in the NFL again, and if not, does he make it to canon greg This one's interesting. Big expose on Earl came out this week. This guy is one of the great safeties of this century and he just seemed to have a personality shift that in in addition to his declining play, has taken him out of the league entirely at what age thirty one? It's crazy.
I have that article insta papers. I want to read it still, but it reminded me like, oh, yeah, I forgot, I forgot Earl Thomas wasn't on a team. What the what the heck? I mean, Uh, it's insane. He played well last year too. It's not like he was a dog last year. I think people in Seattle will say maybe the personality didn't change that much. He was kind of on his own planet the whole time. But you know, when you're, you know, one of the best players in
the league, he just allow. I think you insto the paper that and catch up on it. Great because some of these things you learn about that tenure in Baltimore. Why other teams, you know, you know, these coaches, these gms, they all talk. I think he makes the Hall of Fame. By the way, sorry to interrupt. I do think he makes it. Yes. And finally, Mark Sessler a question for
you from Drew Drew Smith. Does Mark intend to carry his Blue Jay's fandom into next season or was it simply a one and done for those that did not follow. Over the summer, Mark had had a stand office, almost combative relationship with Major League Baseball, but during the pandemic, got behind the Toronto Blue Jays franchise You're gonna run it back this spring. Part of it was that they were in Buffalo for the year. Um. But I went in thinking this could be an a venture that's over
in ten days, ten hours. If it was too boring. UM, my issue with baseball is it it's on every day. It's like four hours long. UM, so engage me. And I found them to be quite UM. I think I picked the right type of team to latch onto. UM. I'm really in favor of how short that regular season was, so that I think the you know, the acid test will be am I ready for six months or seven or eight months, however long this season goes on for um of everyday observation, that will be a heavy test.
But if I am rooting for any team and it's for them. Uh, that so TBD on the fence again, they could be back in. The Raptors are in Tampa. So the Canadians are are smart enough not to let any of us in at this point, and they're like, they might be back in Buffalo if if we're not in any better shape by April. Oh, man, I thought this stuff was all gonna be taken care of. How come that's not the case. That was faulty logical. Oh suddenly it's New Year's even the entire world will be
fine by morning. Wouldn't that have been cool? Though? That would be cool? Yeah, I guess maybe January thirty one, when we hit to February one, everything is no doubt that that's how it's going to play out, all right, the schedule to come. Uh. In our podcast Thursday, the preview pod Divisional Round, we dive deep on all of
those games. Already reached out to Nick Shook. I want to have him involved for the Browns preview um and then Friday, you could check us out on television the around the NFL broadcast, the television show that is airing nice cushy time slot there three pm. Is that three pm Eastern? Well, I'll take it either way, Okay, just
checking it's three pacific. Um. I heard from someone very high up in the company that they were um in quotes, stunned by uh the ratings bump of our show, and it maybe it may not be the end of better
time slots. We did a huge number last week. Um. And then if you are an overseas listener, I believe you can access that with your game Pass international UH log in and then we will be back, of course Sunday night for the flagship show, breaking down all the action and mark that game, the Browns game already check the schedule Sunday, the early game, so that will give
good or bad. You'll have plenty of time to kind of process it before the show begins, because that was quite a challenge one I thought you handled very well on Sunday night, coming on directly after that game against the Steelers. This time, you're gonna have some process time. It's easier to handle. I guess a tough assignment about talking about football when the team wins. But um, we'll see.
I think you know, like you mentioned a little house money vibe to it, I'm willing to accept whatever happens this weekend in a different way than I would have um A couple of day Steelers, Yeah, shout out and a happy birthday by the way to my on Walker sixth birthday today. Funniest guy now, the biggest, biggest football fan I know. Now he's he's addicted. He was just making lists before last weekend of which games he was
most excited about, which teams he hated the most. Just a lot of rankings, a lot of lists, just like a Jack and Joe Buck scenario here. I can feel it. He's gonna seamlessly slip right in there for Greg. When Gregg decides to hang up, he thinks he's gonna be a player. But I haven't. I haven't had the heart to tell him there's not many like five five players. Let him find that out on his own time. Happy birthday,
uh to the boy who will be king home? All right, that's it, just Dan Hanson signing out for a quiet storm. The old boss, Ricky Hollywood behind the virtual glass too.